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Fun Ways To Increase Your Kids’ Physical Activity

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It’s unfortunate that many kids today don’t live as active of a life as they should. Physical activity is incredibly important, as it helps promote a long and happy life with fewer health risks. Moreover, staying physically active also provides us with endorphins that help us maintain our mood and stress levels. However, encouraging our children to get off the couch can be difficult—especially when we have to compete with streaming services, social media, video games, and so much more. But there’s no need to worry since there are many fun ways to increase your kids’ physical activity.

Work Out With Them

Some kids like to imitate what their parents do. While that can be intimidating, it’s also a great opportunity to show by doing. If you work out and maintain an active lifestyle, so will they, as they want to be just like you. As such, you might consider taking them along for one of your workouts. Or if you’re looking to get active yourself, you can start together by working out with them.

Make It a Craft

If your kids are more interested in crafts, you can still prompt them to move by mixing the two together. But how does this work? You can start with a fun craft like making a rocket out of pool noodles. In fact, there are a couple of exciting pool noodles activities for kids to do and interact with. Once they finish their rocket, you can head outside and toss it around. They’ll have so much fun chasing after the rocket and trying their hardest to throw it as far as possible to see it fly.

Try a Silly Game

Of course, a fun way to increase your kids’ physical activity is to do so without them noticing. That’s where a silly game always comes in handy. You can make up a fun game where you prompt them to find the nearest orange object as quickly as possible. Or you can head to your local arcade and entice them with a game of Dance Dance Revolution. These are incredibly fun yet physically demanding activities they’ll enjoy doing so much that they won’t even realize they’re breaking a sweat.

Simple Ways To Help Your Child Find a Hobby They Love

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As a father, you always want to be there for your child and help guide them as they grow older. Part of that guidance means showing them what’s right and wrong, but it also means helping them explore themselves and discover what they want to pursue in life. There are many ways you can help your child find a hobby they love, which they’ll hold with them for the rest of their lives. Help them find those hobbies, and maybe even find a hobby you can enjoy together!

Let Them Dip Their Toes

One of the best ways to help your child find a hobby they’ll love is by helping them feel free to dip their toes in as many hobbies as they want. The world is full of exciting pursuits, and you need to let your child explore all of them, including hobbies like:

  • Creative writing
  • Movies
  • Video games
  • Baking
  • Gardening
  • Music
  • Sports

It’s challenging to know what your child may resonate with right away, so give them the time and space to find a hobby that clicks with them.

Personal Satisfaction Is All That Matters

In today’s culture of grinding and hustling, people are starting to move away from simple hobbies that bring them joy and onto ones that make money. Collecting sports cards used to always be about having fun and building your collection, but the media has framed this hobby as one where the only way to truly enjoy it is if you’re making money. In reality, debunking this sports trading card myth is easy. They can do something as simple as trading cards, art, or any form of collecting for the love of the hobby, not to make money.

Don’t Overcompensate

If you love movies or some sport, it’s so easy to accidentally make your child like them too, ignoring the reality that they may just like pleasing you. It’s easy to subtly do this over the years, but you can also do this while exploring new hobbies for your child. If you invest in a lot of art supplies for them or get them a musical instrument, you can become passionate about the hobby, even if your child isn’t.

When helping your child find their hobby, be sure not to overcompensate—learn to step back and let them find what they enjoy. Additionally, be sure to let them know early on that they don’t feel the need to fake liking something. Kids are smart, and if they see you’ve spent a lot of money on something, they may be more inclined to lie about whether something is making them happy.

With these simple ways to help your child find a hobby they love, you and your child can find hobbies that help keep them active and happy. Something as simple as gardening or cooking can be a hobby your child will love, but they’ll likely never discover it on their own. It’s up to you as their parent to help introduce them to all the world has to offer, including these hobbies.

Important Life Lessons To Teach Your Kids Early

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Being a parent is an extraordinary thing. It’s a wonder of life. You can guarantee every day will present a new experience for you and your child. Cherish those early years because they’re gone in the blink of an eye, and take advantage of those years to pass down some serious wisdom. At a young age, a child’s mind is like a sponge. Check out these important life lessons to teach your kids early.

Treat People With Kindness

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The phrasing might be difficult for a kid to understand at such a young age, but you know the message. Everyone should treat others as they would want to be treated. People deserve respect and kindness, and it’s never too early to teach your children that.

In fact, the sooner, the better. Children aren’t perfect, so there will be times when they face or witness a bully. At that moment, they’ll remember your lesson about being a respectful and considerate human being. They might even feel compelled enough to stand up to the bully on behalf of the other child.

Don’t Tell Lies

Honesty is the best policy, even if, as adults, we tell little white lies—it happens to the best of us. Fortunately, you don’t need to get into that issue just yet. For now, focus on the truth. Encourage your children to always be honest, especially when it’s hard.

Those are the moments when the truth counts the most. Regardless of the consequences, your children should refrain from telling a lie because one lie can quickly become several. Nothing good comes from lying. With every truth they tell you, make sure you convey your response with love and care so they always associate honesty with a good feeling.

Take Care of Your Things

Teach your children how to care for their things so they carry that lesson as adults. This lesson encourages them to value their possessions and live a responsible lifestyle. You can start slowly by having them clean their rooms and take care of their toys.

Lessons like that transfer over to keeping their house clean and making sure all belongings last long. It might surprise you, but a quick lesson in cleaning could translate into teaching them about car maintenance when it comes time for them to drive. After that lesson, they’ll be very protective of their vehicles.

Always Be Grateful

No one can predict the future. None of us have a way of knowing what life holds for us. All we can do is prepare and do our best with the information we have.

Teach your child to be grateful for what they currently have. Greed is a dangerous thing, and we need to teach our kids that there are those less fortunate. They’ll be more appreciative of the gifts they receive and the care they accept.

Lifeis constantly throwing new lessons at us. But give your kids a head start by teaching them the most important life lessons early on.

3 Reasons Why Your Child Won’t Drink Water

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Water is a drink that boosts your mood, provides abundant energy, and prevents dehydration. Water is universally the best beverage you can drink to improve your health.

As a parent, you want the best for your children, but you may struggle to encourage them to drink water. You understand its value, but your children still refuse. Continue reading about the reasons why your child won’t drink water, so you can find solutions.

Preference for Sugary Drinks

Sweet drinks like juice are enticing for people of all ages—especially children. Water, however, can taste somewhat bland. Kids don’t think about the health benefits of water. All they want is something they can sip on those tastes good. When water doesn’t taste like much, your children may quickly deem it undesirable.

Try cutting up slices of fruit and adding them to your kids’ water. The many health benefits of fruit-infused water will improve the flavor and provide your children with additional beneficial nutrients.

Another method to improve the taste is to add sugar-free drink mixes to their water. Instead of drinking sweet beverages made of pure sugar, your child can consume the water they need while savoring the flavors they adore.

Forgetfulness

Another reason why your child won’t drink water is they simply forget to. Children are frequently active, whether running around outside or playing with toys. Even when eating a meal that they love, TV sounds or their favorite toy in the living room may distract them. And since water isn’t the most appealing beverage for kids, they often get distracted and forget to drink it.

Not Understanding Water’s Benefits

Your kids may not drink water because they don’t understand how much they need it. Fortunately, kids are curious and ask their parents questions all day! Take advantage of this curiosity by teaching them the importance of water.

Talk to them about how water makes them healthy and strong. Use visual aids like books and videos to make the learning process even more interesting. You can also conduct an interactive game that challenges your children to drink water.

Encouraging your child to drink water and finding which solutions work best will take some time. But with experimentation and patience, your kids will drink water every day before you know it!

What Parents Need To Know About Baby Teeth

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It’s normal to have many questions about your baby’s teeth. After all, it’s been a long time since your first pearly white came in! Every parent wants to do their best to set their children up for success, and caring for their teeth is part of ensuring a healthy bite in adulthood. To help you care for your baby’s new gnashers, let’s take a closer look at what parents need to know about baby teeth.

The Low-Down on Oral Care

The truth is you should start caring for your baby’s teeth before the first one comes in, as bacteria can easily build up on the gums, especially after feeding. It’s best to clean their gums, cheeks, and tongue twice a day with a clean, damp washcloth to remove leftover food.

Once your baby’s first tooth emerges, you can introduce a baby toothbrush with a rice grain-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste and brush twice a day. Getting them into this habit early makes it much easier to teach them how to brush their teeth and get them to stick to it later on in life.

Average Developmental Timeline

In general, your baby’s first teeth will emerge when they’re between 6 and 12 months old or as early as 4 months. Their set of impermanent teeth should finish emerging around the age of 4. If your baby has not developed any teeth by the time they are 12 months old, it’s time for a visit to the dentist. Typically, teeth come in pairs, usually beginning with the central incisors, then the lateral incisor, the first molar, the canines, and ending with the second molar. Your baby should have 20 teeth: 10 on the top and 10 on the bottom.

Losing Teeth Early

One of the most important things that parents need to know about their baby’s teeth is that they can lose their teeth too early. On average, your child’s teeth shouldn’t begin to fall out before the age of 4. While it’s relatively rare for baby teeth to fall out on their own accord, it can happen. If a tooth does fall out, it’s usually because of an injury or some form of tooth decay.

While these teeth are impermanent, they are important placeholders for permanent teeth, and if lost too early, their bite can become crooked or misaligned. If a tooth does fall out too early, a visit to the dentist is important, as an orthodontist can ensure their future bite is healthy.

When To Worry

Most of the time, your baby’s teeth will develop normally and without a fuss, but there are some things to look out for during the teething state and after their first tooth emerges. One of the most common misconceptions about baby teething is that this process can make babies sick—this is untrue. While your baby may be in some pain, teething does not cause fever, rash, diarrhea, or any symptoms of illness.

If your baby gets sick while teething, take them to the pediatrician. If teeth grow dark or black, come out crooked, or don’t start emerging on time, speak with their doctor to determine the best course of action.

Fun Ways To Involve Your Kids With Interior Design

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There are few joys greater than watching your kids explore their passions and interests in life. However, sometimes introducing them to new things is the best way to spark some serious enthusiasm. Consider these fun ways to involve your kids with interior design during your next home project.

Have Them Create a Rough Draft

Whether through an online simulation program or crayons and paper, letting your kids have a say in what their rooms look like is a lot of fun. It’s important to emphasize what the room “could” look like and avoid making promises about the final result. However, implementing a few design elements is a straightforward way to get them giddy and excited about their room’s design.

Ask About Details

While most kids don’t know the finer details that go into the interior design process, they are more than capable of identifying colors and describing textures. Once they’ve told you what they like, you can match design elements to their preferences. For example, their preferred textures can help you determine which of the most popular rug fibers would suit them best. You can also pick out lightbulbs according to their preferred lighting warmth! Sometimes the descriptions your kids will offer will be simple, but they might also surprise you with some detailed contributions.

Record Their Work

Pictures of the rooms your children create for themselves allow them to look back on the past and witness their personal progress firsthand. When they’re older, your child might wonder how they thought their initial designs were stylish or cool. But in the end, they will look upon the experience as a fond memory they are thankful to have. Being able to improve on their past designs is also a bonus that creative kids will appreciate.

There is no telling what your kids are going to grow up to be. However, the doors you open for them occasionally lend them the chance to discover something special about who they are. You can connect with your children and inspire them to explore their creative sides by considering these fun ways to involve your kids with interior design.

A Brief Overview of a Baby’s First-Year Milestones

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The smile is the first major thing a baby accomplishes during the first year of life. At first, it seems like gas, but rest assured, it’s a smile for you! Here’s a brief overview of a baby’s first-year milestones.

The Widest Smile You’ll Ever See

Let’s not forget about the smile! About 2 months into their life, a baby will take notice of your presence, face, and voice. When babies bond with a parent, sibling, or whoever else is around, they smile most at them since they feel closer to those individuals. Your voice, presence, and face make them smile!

Sleeping Through the Night

During the first three months, babies struggle to sleep through the night and adapt to a routine. As they’re adjusting to a new world, they may still struggle to sleep past 4 and 6 months. If this happens and they exhibit one of the signs they’re not getting enough sleep, try finding the reason.

Sometimes it’s the crib—the crib might not have the right mattress type, or your furniture’s severely outdated, meaning you’ll need to upgrade the crib to one made from natural, toxin-free materials, like wood.

That First Little Giggle

When babies cry, they could fill an entire amphitheater with noise. Don’t fret, though! Once your baby’s 4 months old, they start to laugh. The slight noise escaping their lips is nothing but the sweet sound of giggles! Whether you’re tickling them, playing peek-a-boo, or making silly faces, they won’t stop.

Say Their First Word

The first word is the best milestone! From first saying “mama” or “dada” to saying different animal names, the first-word stage is the most memorable. On average, babies start talking between 12 and 18 months but can start as early as 9 months.

Standing and Walking for the First Time

Where is your little explorer wandering off to? If they’re on their legs and slowly making their way toward you, then it’s definitely you they’re after! Between 9 and 12 months, babies begin to stand and walk on their own.

It’s completely normal for babies to walk later, at 18 months. As your little one discovers how fast they can run and finds any excuse to get up and follow you around, make sure you block off the stairs, kitchen, and bathrooms.

So, parent, now that you know what milestones babies accomplish in their first year, what one are you most excited about? It will be a breathtaking journey for you and your baby, and the first year is the most exciting.